Independent wheel suspension for vehicles of all kinds



Jan. 10, 1939. s. MijHL INDEPENDENT WHEEL SUSPENSION FOR VEHICLES OF ALLKINDS Filed Jan. 9? QT: 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 B/M Mv m M;

S. MOHL Jan. 10, 1939.

INDEPENDENT WHEEL SUSPENSION FOR VEHICLES OF ALL KINDS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Jan. 2'7, 1936 MVAWTMP S. MCHL Jan. 10, 1939.

INDEPENDENT WHEEL SUSPENSION FOR VEHICLES OF ALL KINDS Filed Jan. 27,1956 s Sheets-Sheet 5' Ilflllllllll 'lIIIfllIllflil!'lllllllllZ VII/ m nn n, m

I m I Patented Jan. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES .PATENT OFFICE Steffen M6111,Copenhagen, Denmark Application January 27, 1936, Serial No. 61,070 InGreat Britain January 30, 1935 4 Claims.

In normal suspension designs for sprung wheels for vehicles of allkinds, especially automobiles, the wheel is allowed to rise and fallunder the influence of the variable upward force from the roadwaycounteracted by the force of a resilient spring, and guided either bythe spring itself or through other means so that the centre of the wheelis bound to follow a more or less vertical line. This arrangement givessatisfactory resiliency for horizontal forces acting on the wheel inthedirection of travel. Such forces may be due to the wheel hittingobstacles of substantial size or to sudden acceleration or deceleration.

One object of this invention is to provide such horizontal resiliencywithout complicating the de-,/

sign unduly.

Another object of the invention when used for the driving wheels ofautomobiles is to enable the differential to be supported rigidly in theframe.

A further object of the invention is to reduce the unsprung masses to aminimum.

A still further object of the invention is to may proceed along theroad-way at variablespeed, even if the speed'of the driving fnotor isconstant and no slip takes place in the transmission. Another advantage"is that the wheels move strictly in their own planes, long as the---steering lock is not altered in the-case otsteering wheels.

The invention will be readily understood from the following descriptionand the accompanying drawings, where Fig. 1 is a diagram of a wheelmounting in side elevation showing the principle underlying theinvention.

Figure 2 comprises diagrams of the angular movements of the mountingelements;

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation of a simple form of trailing wheelsuspension;

Figure 4 is'a disass'ociated view in perspective of another embodimentof the invention;

Figure 5 is a similar view of a still further embodiment;

Figure 6 is a plan view with certain portions In the latter case,v

shown in horizontal section of a construction embodying the principlesof the invention as applied to a travelling wheel arrangement. Thesectional portions of Figure 6 are as taken substantially along the lineVI-VI of-Figure 7; and

Figure '7 is a section in side elevation of the construction shown inFigure 6.

As indicated in Figure 1, the-wheel axle l is cylindrically guided roundan intermediate axle 2, which is, in its turn, cylindrlcally guidedround an axle I transversally supported in the vehicle underframe.

Owing to this double freedom of movement the wheel axle 4 will be ableto move, relatively to the axle I, to all the positions shown in Fig.2and numbered 3-I I.

In Fig. 1 is also indicated the outline w of thewheel and the pitchcircles p, p", p' and p"" of the gear wheels in case the wheel is adriving wheel as shown on Figspfi and 7.

In Fig. 2 is shown diagrammatically the angular movements of the axlesrelatively to one another when the wheel axle takes up the positions 3-II.

Fig. 3 shows a simple form of a trailing wheel suspension according tothe invention in which the wheel axle 4 is pivoted by means of a shackleI2 on apin 2 resiliently supported by means of a spring 2I on theunderframe in any known manner.

Fig. 4 shows the invention as applied to a steering'wheel.

In this embodiment a steering wheel axle 4 is carried on a cranked leverI3, resiliently pivoted round a pivot pin I4 which is supported in acarrier unit I5,,adapted to be steered round a substantially verticalking pin I6 supported in the frame and to resist braking torque by atorque rod. I8. pivotally connected at its ends to the carrier I9 for"the brake and the wheel axle and to the carrier unit I5, respectively.

The second freedom of movement above mentioned andcharacteristic to thisinvention is provided by the insertion between the wheel axle 4 and thecranked lever I3 of a link I2. Ordinarily the reaction of the roadway onthe wheel Cwill keep the same in a practically vertical position, buthorizontal forces acting on the wheel in the direction of travel willbring the ink I2 into a momentarily angular position.

In order to obtain easier steering it may be found an advantage toincline the king pivot I8 into a sloping position indicated at I1 in thewell known manner. 4

Another modification closely resembling Fig. 4

is shown in Fig. 5. The only novel feature in this design is again theinsertion of the i2. The king pin 16 is here arranged between the wheelaxle carrier 19 and the wheel axle 4 so that the levers l3 and iii arepivotally mounted on a carrier l rigidly connected to the vehicleunderframe 20.

In Figs. 4 and 5 by way of example the springing arrangement is reducedto the simplest possible form, namely a coil spring 2| resisting upwardmovement of the wheel axle. By the application of well known springingarrangements, considerable variation will be possible.

In Figs. 6 and 7 is shown a construction of the.

invention as applied to a driving wheel arrangement.

The motive power is distributed through a gear box 22 preferably locatednear the middle plane of the vehicle underframe. This gear box maycontain all gear wheels necessary to alter speed ratio at will, and mayalso contain a differential gear of any known design includingnonreversible types. The axle transmitting the driving power from themotor to the gear box 22 may be acted on by the brake, if preferred. Thegear box (or differential) 22 may be rigidly supported in the vehicleunderframe on cross-members, or may be flanged on to the central tube inthe case of back-bone vehicles.

On each side of this gear box (differential housing) is formed orattached a bearing 23 for a gear wheel casing 24, provided with anadditional bearing 25 which is carried by a pivot pin 26 supported onthe chassis side member by means of a suitable bracket 21. In the caseof a backbone type vehicle there is no chassis side member and thebearing and pin 252l may then be omitted, if the bearing 23 is made aslong as necessary.

The axle 28 in casing 24 is driven from. the gear box 22 and is rigidwith a gear wheel 29. Pins 30 and 3i support the meshing gear wheels 29and 32, of which the latter is connected rigidly through an axle 33 to agear wheel 34. This is supported by a pin 35 which is fixed in a casing36 pivotally mounted in the outer part of the casing 24, the said casing36 also being and containing a larger gear wheel 38 rigidly mounted onthe said axle 37. The wheels 34 and 38 are in mesh.

All bearings are for clearness shown as plain bushings. In order toholdthe two casings 24 and 36 together, the pin 35 has a slender extension39 passing through the opposite end of the casing 24. At the end of thisextension 39 is mounted a nut and a washer. When balancer or rollerbearings are used these may be relied upon to guide the casingslaterally, and the extension 39 may then be omitted.

On the casing 36 is bolted the cover 40.

On the wheel axle 31 is mounted a. hub 4| carrying the brake drum 42 andthe wheel 43 in the usual way. The stationary brake members are to bemounted on the brake carrier 44 bolted on to the cover 40.

If braking is arranged for between motor and gear box (differential),brakes in the wheels may not be found necessary. But if used, suchbrakes in the wheels are preferably actuated by flexible brake cables orflexible hydraulic tubes.

In order to complete the suspension, a bracket or other part of thecasing 36 may be connected by a shackle 46 to a pin 41, which is guidedon a more or less vertical line, its upward movement being resilientlyresisted by the leaf spring 58 rigidly mounted on the gear box(differential) 22.

Instead of the transverse spring 48 shown, the pin 4! may also be guidedby longitudinal leaf springs or longitudinal levers mounted ontransverse axles in such a manner that upward movement of the pin 41 isresiliently resisted.

In Fig. '7 the brake parts and the wheel have been removed forclearness.

If required to resist torque reactions, it may be found preferable toresiliently support two points of the .casing 36, one near its front endand one near its rear end, instead of supporting only the one point 45as shown.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is:

1. Independent wheel suspension comprising a car frame, primarysuspending means pivotally mounted on the frame for free rotationrelative thereto in a substantially vertical longitudinal plane,secondary suspending means pivotally mounted on the primary suspendingmeans for free rotation relative thereto in a substantially verticallongitudinal plane, a wheel carrier directly mounted on the secondarysuspending means, resilient means tending to keep the suspending meansin a certain position of equilibrium relatively to one another and tothe car frame, and gearing mounted on the car frame and on the primaryand secondary suspending means for transmitting a drive to the wheelaxle carried by said carrier, said gearing being adapted to rotate aboutthe axes of relative rotation between these different members.

2. Independent wheel wheel suspension comprising a car frame, primarysuspending means pivotally mounted on the frame for free rotationrelative thereto in a substantially vertical longitudinal plane andcomprising a housing having two offset tubular portions with parallelaxes, one of said tubular portions rotatably surrounding a portion ofsaid frame to provide said pivotal mounting, secondary suspending meanspivotally mounted on the primary suspending means for A free rotationrelative thereto in a substantially provided with bearings for the wheelaxle 31" vertical longitudinal plane, said secondary suspending meanshaving a tubular portion telescoping with the second tubular portion ofsaid first named means and providing said secondary pivotal mounting, awheel carrier on said secondary suspending means, resilient meansbetween one of said suspending means and said car frame for maintainingthe suspending means in a certain position of equilibrium relative toone another and to the car frame, gearing carried by said car frame andsaid primary and said secondary suspending means for transmitting driveto the wheel, said gearing being adapted to rotate about the axes ofrelative-rotation between these several members. I

3. Independent wheel suspension comprising a car frame, primarysuspending means comprising a housing pivotally mounted on said framefor free rotation relative thereto in a substantially verticallongitudinal plane, secondary suspending means comprising a secondhousing pivotally mounted on said primary suspending means for freerotation relative thereto in a substantially vertical longitudinalplane, and resilient means connected between said suspending means andsaid frame, a rotatable drive shaft extending into said first namedhousing from said frame and operatively connected with a gear alsoenclosed within said housing, the axes of said drive shaft and gearbeing substantially identical with the axis of rotation of said firstnamed suspending means with respect to the car frame, another gearcarried by saidsecond housing coaxially with the axis of rotation of thelatter with respect to said first named suspending means and adapted tobe driven by said first named gear, a wheel carrying axle rotatablymounted in said second named housing and operatively connected with andadapted to be driven by said second named gear.

4. Independent wheel suspension comprising a car frame and adifierential housing, said housing being provided with a bearing boss,primary suspending means comprising a housing having a tubular extensionthereon rotatably associated with said bearing boss whereby said primarysuspending means is pivotally mounted on the frame for free rotationrelative therto in a substantially vertical longitudinal plane, a secondtubular extension on said primary suspending means offset from saidfirst extension, secondary suspending means comprising a housingprovided with a tubular extension telescoping with the second tubularextension on said first named housing and rotatably connected to providea pivotal mounting for said secondary suspending means for free rotationrelative to said primary suspending means in a substantially verticallongitudinal plane, a wheel carrying axle rotatably mounted in saidsecondary suspending means, and resilient means tending to keep thesuspending means in a certain position of equilibrium relative to oneanother and to the car frame, a pair of intermeshing gears disposedwithin said first named housing and a pair of intermeshing gearsdisposed within said second named housing, means for driving one of thegears in said first named housing from said differential, said gearbeingcoaxial with the axis of relative rotation of said first named housingwith respect to said differential housing, the other of said gears insaid first named housing being connected with one of the gears in saidsecond named housing for rotation therewith, the axes 20 of said lastnamed gears being coincidental with the axis of rotation between saidfirst named and said second named housings, the other gear in saidsecond named housing being carried by the wheel carrying axle.

- STEFFEN MonL.

